In Von Holdt U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,476,083; 4,210,620; 4,172,577; and 4,125,246, molds are disclosed which are capable of simultaneously molding a bucket and its handle in which the handle can swing freely from side to side and in fact can become a separate piece from the rest of the bucket upon use, while remaining captured with the bucket. Some of the designs disclosed in the above cited patents are in commercial use, constituting a significant advance over buckets with separately molded handles.
However, certain disadvantages exist in the prior technology for manufacturing buckets with simultaneously molded, free swinging handles. For example, some of the prior molds are rather complicated in their action and difficult and expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, some of the prior molds are subject to self-destruction as the mold closes if certain of the moving parts stick in their moving action so as to be in the wrong position for the closed mold. Such, of course, is a very significant drawback because molds are very expensive.
Furthermore, there is a need for greater efficiency in molding action, with a shorter cycle.
By this invention significant improvements over the prior molds are provided. The mold of this present invention is far less likely to encounter self-destruct problems due to an unnoticed malfunction of the position of its internal parts when the mold closes. Likewise, the mold of this invention can operate with a shorter mold cycle since, contrary to the prior molds, the critical parts involved in the formation of the handle retention chambers and the ends of the handle handle may contain fluid cooling flow lines.